Bundling her books into her locker, Piper tried to ignore Polly's eyes burning into her back. Despite the fact that Brook Soso's annoying giggle seemed to echo in the hallway behind her, she didn't feel jealous. With the last book shoved in haphazardly, Piper checked her phone for the tenth time since she'd walked into the building five minutes ago.

Though she wouldn't admit it, she was still worried that Alex was going to text her with some bullshit excuse as to why she wasn't coming to school that day, and consequently why she couldn't join her for dinner with her parents later. She didn't know why she was worried - if nothing else, Alex always stuck to her word. Annoyingly so, the blonde had to admit. It was her who chopped and changed and didn't mean what she said; a smile ghosted her lips as she remembered uttering the words 'strictly business' all those weeks ago.

She rolled her eyes at herself, a blush sweeping across her cheeks. But it didn't stop the worry from churning in her stomach. Chewing on her lip, she smudged the lipstick she'd picked so carefully this morning. Worry wasn't like her. She was confident - overly so, sometimes, even she had to admit - independent, and she knew what she wanted and exactly how to get it. But Alex was her Achilles heel, the Daisy to her Gatsby. And it made her feel weak. Sure, she'd chased Larry, but that was fun. This felt like much higher stakes.

Her anxiety was so apparent it even caught the eye of Berdie, the new guidance counsellor. As Piper fiddled with her backpack, she strode over to investigate.

"What's up, Chapman?" She leaned against the lockers, brow knitted in concern. New in her role, she was eager to help students - sometimes too eager. "You look like a turkey on Thanksgiving."

Piper slipped her backpack over her shoulders. She offered Berdie a wry smile, slamming the locker door shut. "Gobble gobble."

Berdie's face lit up at the prospect of a student in need. "You wanna talk about it? I'm free. I could write you a pass to miss first period."

As tempting as the offer sounded, Piper shook her head. "Thanks, though," she said, wrinkling her nose at the thought of airing her dirty laundry. "But I have to get my grades up. Can't miss French. Comprende?" Piper let herself laugh, hoping it sounded convincing enough to shake Berdie.

"Gotcha," Berdie nodded. "Let me know though, Chapman. I'm here to help."

"Mhm," Piper said, her eyes swiveling behind Berdie at the double doors where students were pouring in. Upon seeing seemingly everyone but Alex, Piper sighed. "I will."


Meanwhile, Alex shared Piper's anxiety, albeit for very different reasons. She stood at Nicky's door, eyes glued to the floor as she hammered on the door. She hated this building. It was full of rich people. She groaned - rich people, exactly like who she was going to meet tonight. She sighed but pushed it out of her mind.

Hearing another bang on the door, Nicky stubbed out her cigarette with an annoyed huff. Grabbing her keys from the coffee table, she flung the door open.

"Yes?" she demanded, upon seeing Alex's face. She craned her neck to look over her shoulder, glancing at the clock hung up in the kitchen. "Shouldn't you be at school already?"

Alex glared. "You know you said you'd give me a ride."

Nicky leaned against the door frame, her brow furrowing. "No, you said that."

Alex's mouth set in a hard line as she shifted her backpack to her other shoulder. "I'm gonna be late if you don't take me."

"That sounds like a you problem." As Nicky tilted her head, a smirk playing on her lips, Alex noticed the keys hanging from her fingers.

"You're an asshole."

"What?" Nicky said, unable to stop herself from laughing. She rolled those brown eyes of hers and grabbed her purse from the coffee table before jerking her chin in the direction of the hallway. "Let's go."

"To school?"

It sounded like a redundant question, but she was going to make sure. Nicky could afford to skip days and whilst Alex would prefer to not be there too, she couldn't afford losing her partial scholarship.

Nicky rolled her eyes again. "Sure. But first we're stopping at Starbucks. You know, for breakfast."

This time it was Alex who rolled her eyes. "Coffee and cigarettes aren't breakfast."

Nicky raised her eyebrows as they walked out of the building. She opened up her car door. "What about coffee and heroin?"

Alex yanked the car door open. Despite having been clean for over a week now, it still churned her stomach to even contemplate drugs. "Not funny."

Nicky nodded. "Duly noted," she said, a hand running through her curls. She winked. "I'll try again next week."


It was as Alex sprinted into the building that Piper saw her. Hair flying everywhere and legs not quite co-ordinated with her body, Alex looked like a mess. Her usually pale cheeks had a rosy glow, and Piper took a moment just to watch her.

It was a strange feeling, looking at Alex. When she had looked at Larry, she'd always felt happy...but this was different. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach whenever she caught a glance of her. But not the bad kind, the kind that made her feel like she was on a rollercoaster at Disneyland again.

Yet with Larry it had been easier. She hadn't felt the need to hide him; he was the perfect boyfriend, in her parents' eyes. Straight As, straight laced, they'd accepted him instantly. Alex...Piper sighed. Alex was perfect to her, but to everyone else? The thought of telling her parents turned the butterflies in her stomach to bees.

Piper jogged over to Alex, who was so busy stuffing books into her locker that she didn't even notice Piper bounding over.

"You're here!" Piper exclaimed.

Alex jumped and tried to turn the grimace on her face into a smile as she turned to face Piper. The blonde had offered her a ride to school, and she'd been accepting it whilst Nicky played hooky in the past week or so, but she'd turned it down this morning. Every time she thought about meeting Piper's parents it made her feel sick, and she didn't feel like hearing Piper ramble about it on the car ride over.

The excitement and relief in Piper's voice made it feel worth it, though. Alex didn't need to force the smile as Piper shyly entwined their hands together. Alex let herself soak in the moment - it so rarely happened.

Though she tried to be patient with Piper, it grew very old very quickly when she shoved her hand away in the hallways and tried not to let herself smile too much around her. Even now she ripped her hand away as a set of footsteps sounded down the hallway.

"It's only Nicky," Alex said defensively.

Piper wrung her hands. "Sorry," she said, quickly taking Alex's hand in her own again. Not even Nicky's presence could dampen her spirits. "I'm just so glad you're here. I thought you might bail on me."

"I wouldn't do that to you," Alex reassured her. She gave her hand a quick squeeze and pecked her lips. "I need to get to class, okay? But how about we meet after school and you can help me decide what to wear? What do you even wear to a dinner party?" Her brow knitted together.

Piper grinned. "I'll meet you at yours?"

Alex drew her in for a quick hug, wondering if Piper could feel her hammering heart underneath her top. "See you then."

Nicky raised her eyebrows at Piper. The girl made Alex happy, but she didn't know how. She wouldn't even hold her hand in the hallways. Nicky let out a sigh. "Don't fuck it up."

Piper straightened, the smile slipping for a moment. "I won't," she whispered. "Really - this time I won't."


Alex bit her lip as she held up a dress in each hand, holding them up in front of her alternately. Neither looked right and, throwing them on the bed behind her, she sighed. She didn't have a thousand dresses to choose from like Piper probably did. And she was desperate to make a good impression.

"Wear the green one," Piper murmured, holding it in front of Alex. Resting her chin on Alex's shoulder, she smiled at her in the mirror. She smoothed the dress out, her hand grazing over the top of Alex's thigh. "It matches your eyes."

A smile played on Alex's lips and she turned to face Piper. "Is that so?"

"Mhm," Piper said. She laced her hand in Alex's, touching their noses together. It was the private moments like this that both of them had grown to cherish. It was the feel of Piper's skin, the sound of her laugh, the smell of her perfume...those were what she thought about in dark moments. The thoughts that had slowly replaced seeing Nicky lying unconscious on the floor when she closed her eyes to go to sleep.

Alex broke first, pulling away. "We're going to be late," she said reluctantly. "I need to get changed and put my makeup on."

Though she was frowning at Alex pulling away, Piper perked up at that. "Can I do your makeup?"

Alex laughed, unable to say no to such a harmless request. Handing her the makeup bag, she nodded. "No pink. Okay?"

Piper grinned as she rummaged through the bag. "Deal!"

Alex let Piper pick through her makeup bag, and though she was sure the makeup from the drugstore wasn't comparable to whatever Piper plastered over her own face, she didn't complain. After shimmying into the dress that felt completely unnatural to her, she sat in front of Piper.

Piper reached out and slipped her glasses off of her face. She gently folded them and placed them on her lap. "You have such beautiful skin."

"Thanks," Alex said, shrugging the compliment off. She'd always been too pale, to pasty...vampire. To hear someone compliment her was nice, but foreign. Piper softly swept the brush over Alex's skin. Her touch was so light that it tickled, and Alex shivered. "That feels nice," she murmured. Piper let her hand trail down Alex's cheek to her neck.

"I know," Piper said, smiling. "Now close your eyes...I think a cat eye." She deftly swiped the eyeliner pen over her lid. "There," she said, reaching for a mascara. "You look beautiful. My parents will love you. They really will." Like I do.

Alex peeked open her eyes and coated her own lashes in mascara as Piper marveled at her work. "You think?" Alex said.

"Of course I do," Piper said. And it sounded like she meant it. "One more thing before the lipstick," Piper said.

"What's that?"

Piper leaned forward and connected their lips. Alex was surprised, but leaned into it. It just felt...right. But Piper pulled away as Alex started to rake her fingers through her hair.

Alex looked up. "That was a tease."

Piper grinned. "A tease, or a preview?" she asked. Then she was back to her usual self, efficient and abrupt. "Now come on. Put your heels on and we'll get going. And no drugs talk," she said, as if Alex needed to be reminded.

Alex rolled her eyes, the tingle on her lips still her main focus. "Yes, boss."


Upon arriving at her house, Piper opened up the door and let Alex go in first. The brunette hung back a little, looking around curiously, and turned to Piper as she shut the door.

"Don't be nervous," Piper laughed. Seeing Alex bite her lip and wring her hands wasn't something she was used to, but it was sweet. "They're looking forward to meeting you."

"That's what I'm nervous about," Alex grumbled. "They expect someone like Polly. Not someone like me."

"They're expecting Alex Vause. That's you, isn't it?" Piper said, giving Alex's hand a quick squeeze before her mother walked into the room.

Piper shot her a look before she greeted Alex.

"You must be Alex!" Mrs Chapman said, walking over in a cloud of perfume and lipstick and enveloping Alex in a quick hug. She raised her eyebrows at Piper, ignoring the fact that her daughter looked mortified. "Piper's told me all about her new friend."

She omitted to mention the part about staying out all night, and worrying that she was a bad influence, but Alex got that feeling anyway.

The word friend was another point of contention, but Alex bit her tongue. What were she and Piper to each other, anyway? She didn't know, she really didn't.

Piper watched the cogs turning in Alex's mind. She immediately wanted to correct her mom, tell her that she was so much more than just a friend...but she couldn't, and she didn't. The moment slipped away.

"Hi, Mrs Chapman," Alex said with forced brightness, pulling away. But as she stepped further into the room, the scent of cooking wafted from the kitchen. To Alex, it reminded her of restaurants she could never afford. With more sincerity, she exclaimed, "Something smells wonderful!"

Carol smiled, brushing her hair back. "Well, I hope you're hungry. Dinner is ready and waiting."

The meal drew to an easy end with finished plates sitting in front of everybody and small talk still bubbling. Alex said a silent thank you to the fact that it had passed without any major hiccups.


"Thanks, Mrs Chapman," Alex said, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "That was really delicious."

She wasn't exaggerating to be polite - she really meant it. Anything her and Diane ate at their house was either takeout or convenience food. This felt like gourmet cooking, even if it was modest dining by their standards.

Mrs Chapman raised her eyebrows. None of her own children were ever grateful for their dinners. Polly hadn't ever eaten. She was always turning vegan or gluten free and not even Piper had been able to keep up with it.

Mrs Chapman folded her hands on the table, beaming at Alex. "Thank you, dear."

Alex forced a smile. "Do you need any help with cleaning up? Maybe the dishes?" she offered.

Cal burst out laughing. The thought of his mother standing at the sink, suds up to her elbows and donning rubber gloves amused him. "Mom doesn't do the dishes!"

Alex stared at him.

A smile played on Piper's lips and she ran her foot along Alex's leg under the table. "One of Miss Claudette's girls will come and do them later," she explained.

"But still," Mrs Chapman said, taking a sip of wine as Alex eyed the glass. "It was nice of you to offer."

"No worries," Alex said easily, taking a sip of the lemonade she'd been given. "Mom says it's always best to ask." Or she had, before everything went South.

"She sounds lovely," Mrs Chapman says. "Perhaps we could invite her round, Bill...what is it that your father does again, Alex?"

"Oh, he used to be in a band," she mumbled, waving her hand. "He runs a little record label now. But he's really busy.."

"Maybe just your mother then?" she persisted.

Piper set her glass down with a sigh. "Not everyone has as much free time as you, mom. Alex's mom is probably too busy too."

Carol shot Piper a look that silenced her. But before she could continue, Mr Chapman butt in with a point of his own.

"So, Alex," he said smoothly, ignoring the daggers his wife was shooting him, "I hear you have a business of your own. How's that?"

"It's going okay," Alex said, her tone guarded. Cautious of saying too much, she was coming across as cagey. Piper offered her an encouraging smile.

"You know, my grandfather started his own business from the ground up. He grew up dirt poor," he continued. A frown appeared on Carol's face; her own family had been wealthy for generations. He dabbed at his own mouth with a napkin, ignoring his wife's murmuring. "What is it that you do? I've told Piper her soap business is a fad. No-one cares about sustainable palm oil, do they? Hell, I don't even know what palm oil is."

Alex hid a smile as Piper opened her mouth to protest but thought better of it.

"I do supply and demand...like a catalogue," Alex said carefully. When Mr Chapman nodded, she continued. "People come to me and tell me what they want, and I order it. Some kids…" she shrugged, "I guess they'd rather have someone else doing the grunt work."

"That's the problem with kids these days," he complained, his eyes flashing to his youngest son quickly, as Cal flicked a pea at Piper. "They're lazy."

Alex sat on her hands. "I can't afford to be lazy."

Carol raised her eyebrows. "I thought you said your father was successful?"

"Well, he is," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "But that doesn't mean I am."

Bill nodded, drinking from his glass. "Good attitude. I've told Piper's brothers that they won't just be handed money on a silver platter."

Alex smiled, wondering about Piper. Did she get told the same? She doubted it, for Piper seemed to get whatever she wanted.

"Thanks," Alex said sincerely. "I'm saving up."

"What for?" Piper asked.

Alex shrugged. "Just the future," she said. At one point she wasn't even sure she had one. But with Piper by her side, it made her want one. And now every cent she earned went towards it.

"The future," Piper repeated. It sounded good on her lips and she smiled through it. "The future is a pretty smart thing to save for."

"I agree," Mr Chapman said. He nudged his wife, raising his eyebrows. "Maybe some of that attitude could rub off on Piper."

Piper rolled her eyes, but laughed. Alex smiled at her from across the table. If it meant her parents giving her carte blanche to spend as much time with Alex as she wanted, then she didn't care.

"Can I take Alex down to the lake?"

Carol looked up in surprise. "But you haven't wanted to go down to the lake in years, Piper."

"I know," she said, smiling as she remembered all the fun she used to have there as a little girl. "But Alex has never been."

Carol looked to Bill. "You're really supposed to be grounded still."

Piper locked eyes with her dad, silently pleading. Bill reached over and squeezed his wife's hand, unable to say no to his little girl.

"You know keeping her grounded is just a punishment for you, Carol," he said, stifling a chuckle. "Let the girls go have fun. They're only young once."

Carol pressed her lips together, but finally she relented. She nodded her head in the direction of the door, waving her hand. She was always a little more amiable after a few glasses. "Go on then."


Piper cut the engine as she saw the lake coming into view, and as soon as she'd yanked the keys out of the ignition she ran out onto the grass. The sun still shone through the trees framing the lake, and a halo of gold shone over Piper's blonde hair.

Alex pushed her own car door open. She was too full from dinner to run, but she strolled over to Piper, who looked utterly content. Streams of light hit off of her tanned skin.

"Can we just...sit here and forget the world?" Piper said, flinging off her heels and running over the grass in bare feet.

Alex laughed, but kicked off her own heels too. Both pairs sat on the grass in a heap. "It didn't go that bad, did it?"

"Nooo," Piper insisted. "It went well. Dad loved you, I could tell. Mom...well, you know moms." She flashed Alex an apologetic smile.

"I do know moms," she sighed, raising her eyebrows. "Not sure how you could tell your dad loved me, though. I think you're being generous."

Piper flopped down next to the lake. Her hair fanned out around her and she didn't seem to care that there were grass stains on her white dress. "Aren't I always?"

Alex picked at a hangnail, not as sure of herself as she once had been. "Mm."

"He didn't pick up his work phone once," Piper said after a beat. She stayed laying down, staring at the blue skies. "He was actually interested in what you had to say."

Alex jumped to her feet, brushed the dirt from her dress, and plucked a dandelion from the side of the riverbank.

From her position lying on the bank, Piper watched, her nose wrinkling as she squinted in the sunset. It was the beginnings of a beautiful night; the sky an artist's canvas, splattered with candy floss clouds and patches of fading blue skies, it was almost as breathtaking to Piper as the girl in front of her.

The brunette closed her eyes, clutching the little weed like a lifeline. If Piper could have kept that image in her mind forever, she would have.

Sitting up, Piper splashed her feet in the cool water. The low summer breeze danced through her hair, and she raked her fingers through it as she brushed it back. A smile skimped her lips as Alex blew on the dandelion, sending the seeds flying into the air. Nature's confetti blustered around them, some getting caught in Alex's hair.

Piper threw her head back in easy laughter. "What are you doing?"

Alex peeked an eye open. "Making a wish."

Piper turned over, laying on her stomach on the grass. She rested her chin on her palm, elbows dug into the dirt, and tilted her head. "What did you wish for?"

"Nuh-uh," Alex said. "You don't get to know. Or they don't come true. Right?" Alex threw the discarded dandelion to the side and plucked another. She handed it to Piper. "Make your own wish."

"I'm glad you agreed to meet my parents," Piper said. She stopped, ripping a blade of grass in two.

Alex raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to come. "Me too," she agreed. And she meant it, she really did - though she'd been dreading it since the subject had ever been brought up, it had gone much better than she'd ever hoped for.

After picking the petals from a daisy, Piper looked up. "I'm sorry I said you were a friend."

Alex closed her eyes, a wistful smile aimed at the grass. "It's okay," she said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. She ran her fingers through the blades, the dirt collecting underneath her fingernails. "I...I get it, you know."

Piper scoffed, not unkindly, but as if she couldn't believe it. Alex didn't seem to mind. A small snort filled the silence as she laughed.

"I do," Alex insisted, shaking her head. "When I first brought home a girlfriend, my mom laughed. She said…" Alex shrugged self-consciously. "Well, it doesn't matter what she said. But I didn't need to hear it." She contemplated saying what her dad had said, but that was too painful to repeat, even after all these years.

"I'm sorry," Piper said. "I don't wanna...mess with your head," she said. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she brushed her wet feet off to have something other than Alex's face to focus on. "Was that...was that Sylvie?"

She'd heard rumors about her. Bad rumors. But she was curious, and looked up at Alex, who let out a low chuckle. Alex shook her head.

"No," she said. "Sylvie and I started dating a couple of years ago, when I was turning fifteen," she explained as Piper nodded. "I brought home my first girlfriend at thirteen."

"Thirteen?" Piper echoed, a blush sweeping her cheeks. Larry had been her first boyfriend, and they'd only been dating for six months or so. "That's so young."

A smile ghosted Alex's lips. "Well, it's not about who you start with, is it? It's about who you end up with."

Piper reached out a hand to Alex. She scooted closer. The brunette instantly took Piper's hand, brushing her thumb over the back of it.

"Yeah," Piper said, nodding. She squeezed Alex's hand, leaning back against her so that her head rested against Alex's chest. "I guess it is."

"Hey Piper?" Alex said. Piper felt so natural in her arms, but she couldn't resist asking.

Piper looked up. "Mm?"

"Ever been skinny dipping?"


A/N:

Hi lovelies! How are you?
Thank you so much for all the reviews. I hope you liked this chapter.
Some of you asked for a fluffier, lighter chapter, so ask and you shall receive...hopefully this was something close to what you were wanting.
I can do more fluff in the future if not.

Please leave a review telling me your thoughts. I love them and you're all sweethearts.
It also really spurs me on and I'm trying to update this fairly regularly. Let me know what you want to see in the future.

Hope you're all good.

- Star xo